This was introduced in 1859 for the Royal Navy to supply a need for a cutlass and a bayonet in one weapon for the naval rifle of the era, a .577 Enfield cap and ball weapon. This is an A & E Holler example - ie a Solingen blade. There are no UK ordnance marks, so this is almost certainly an American export item.

Both the Union and Confederate navies used this pattern of cutlass in the Civil War. Holler supplied 13,000 to the UK Government in a contract of 1859. This piece is almost certainly part of a US or Confederate States of America contract. At least 1,000 were exported through the Union blockade for the Confederate navy.

A distinctive feature, rarely seen on any of these weapons, is that it has a horn grip as against chequered leather for UK ordnance issue. This is an unmodified example, ie it has not been converted for Martini-Henry use, and is quite a hard piece to source with a scabbard.

The blade (26.75" long) is in good shape, but has lost its original polish and shows signs of service wear, having been sharpened for use at some point. There are a few small scattered edge nicks midway to the point. Although the scabbard is in good shape, with a black finish, the bottom mount is missing. The inside of the bowl of the hilt has a heavy varnish finish, which I am reluctant to remove. The outside of the bowl needed careful hand cleaning to remove residual surface rust and old varnish. The locking button functions correctly.

If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.